My Book of Shadows as a pagan mother. Recipes, rituals, spells, and more!

Thursday

Litha Information

Litha, (also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice) is next week on June 20th and I must say, I’m excited. It’s one of my honey’s favorite holidays and I’m sure she’s excited, as am I! Here is some Litha information we got from a website awhile ago, which has since been taken down.

MidsummerCan take place between June 19th and the 22ndLongest Day of the Year

A new holiday adapted by neo-pagans to celebrate the middle of summer. The origins of the holiday originated in Wales where the celebration of Midsummer was practiced and is called Gwyl Canol Haf. It is my conclusion that ancient pagans probably celebrated a form of a midsummer holiday anyway because 1. The seasons and especially a solstice were important to them and 2. They had very hard lives and enjoyed celebrating like now by neo-pagans. The name given to this time of year would have been St. John’s Eve or St. Hans Aften or Jonines, or any other variations of “John”. Emphasis would have been placed on the twilight time of balance of dark and light, short and long and the gray area in between when the faerie’s or Spirits would be out and seen and communicated with easily. The times of dusk and dawn, eves of holidays, hence we get the wonderful Shakespeare store of a Midsummer Eve. Why St. John? At the time of early Christianity and conversions, St. John was seen as a rustic nature based figure and often called the Oak Man. There are many statues of him that still exist with portray him as half human and half animal, perhaps hints of him as being a Jack in the Green or The Wild Man in the Woods. The plant, St. John’s Wort was seen as defense against harmful faeries. Bonfires are still lit today on the midsummer’s, lighting up hillsides and casting a glow of protection from harmful faeries.

If you have children, a great way to spend the holiday together as a family is to take them to a sacred site and picnic with vegetables and fruits from your garden and have them search for specific plants of the holiday too and explain the folklore. Midsummer and summer time are also the time for many pagans and non-pagans too to think about weddings and handfastings. Many herbs collected at this time are used for a traditional handfasting. Picnics afterward with mead and ale and the traditional vegetables and fruits of the summer are served as well as wild flowers everywhere in hair and on table spreads.Magickal Weddings: Pagan Handfasting Traditions for Your Sacred Union – Joy Ferguson

Pour the water into a large cauldron or kettle. Bring to a boil and add the Meadowsweet Herb, Woodruff Sprigs, Heather Flowers, and cloves. Boil for one hour and add the honey, brown sugar, and barley Malt. Stir 13 times in a clockwise direction and then remove from heat.

Strain through a cheesecloth and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the brewer’s yeast. Cover with a clean towel and let it stand for one day and one night. Strain again, bottle and then store in a cool place until ready to serve.

Midsummer Ritual Mead is an ideal drink to serve at Summer Solstice Sabbaths, as well as during all Cakes and Ale Ceremonies and Esbats.